Game 2012.134: Indians at Tigers

Well, here we go. It’s all even, the season starts today, and it’s only 28 games.

Unlike Kevin, I don’t have a plan for this thing, so I will go with his suggestion that Detroit win this afternoon.

It all went according to plan last night: Verlander gave up a leadoff home run, which combined with his 8-run last outing made the White Sox (and a few Tiger fans) think “aha, he’s lost it.” The overconfident Chicagoans were helpless the rest of the night, until Valverde entered to provide fun and excitement for all.

Also according to plan Brennan Boesch finally baesched, to dead center, no less; Jhonny Peralta made perhaps the best tag on a stolen base attempt for the season; Avisail Garcia practiced his look-alike Cabrera opposite-field stroke, Don Kelly um…got in the game, and most of all Delmon Young kept the D-train rolling, when he golfed a pitch over the left-field fence for his somethingth home run of the week (depending on whether we are counting the “home runs” as well as the home runs).

There was a downside to the sweep: watching Robin Ventura calmly take it all in. Would have been awfully entertaining to hear what Ozzie Guillen had to say afterward.

The Tigers face a Cleveland team that has lost 16 of their last 18, and a pitcher who has yet to win. In fact, they are looking like an alternate-ending version of Major League. I’ll save the sympathy for later: it’s a pennant race. Besides Cleveland still leads the season match-up, 7 games to 5.

With Garcia continuing to look promising, Dirks back, and Boesch showing glimmers of hope, the outfield suddenly seems a bit crowded, with Quintin Berry holding the short straw. Nonetheless, Leyland found a way to get short-straw Berry in the lineup, as Jackson gets the day off. Might have also been a good day to let Cabrera DH, but it looks like the Jackson/Berry plan took precedence (you don’t dare leave Delmon out right now). Meanwhile, look for Danny Worth to appear in a pinch-running role, now that he has proven his ability to elude goats.

Stat of the Day: Delmon Young has hit 15% of his 2012 RBI and 19% of his home runs in the last week.

Today’s Player of the Pre-game: Delmon Young. I have a one-game plan for him to continue his hot streak.

If it were my call i’d pull Sanchez, he’s put in another 6 solid innings, thrown 105 pitches and Avila’s given up his 2 runs. Continue to build his confidence, hand the ball to Villareal or (dare i say) Coke in the 7th.

StorminNorman$

September 3, 2012 at 3:08 pm

…or i guess, Downs.

should i be worried if i’m starting to think like JL?

jud

September 3, 2012 at 3:21 pm

Cabrerra hits a fly ball with a runner on third to score him. MUMBLES TURNS TO McClendon and says..”is that legal? MCclendon answers ” don’t know, never seen it before”

Vince in MN

September 3, 2012 at 3:36 pm

Trailing 3-2, two outs, a 1-2 count on the batter and Leyland calls a steal? Oh wait, surprise value, I get it.

Coleman

September 3, 2012 at 4:00 pm

Ah yes, time to get Phil Coke going…

Coleman

September 3, 2012 at 4:05 pm

Wow, nice play Prince! Now let’s jack one out.

Coleman

September 3, 2012 at 4:13 pm

This is going to end up being all up to Avila, isn’t it?

Vince in MN

September 3, 2012 at 4:18 pm

Not a good day for AA. But you gotta stick with him because of the confidence thing.

Vince in MN

September 3, 2012 at 4:17 pm

Leadoff double, no attempt to move the runner to 3rd, no pinch runner. Ya gotta do better than that JL.

jud

September 3, 2012 at 4:19 pm

Avila has now stranded 14 in his last three games…the Cleveland Plain Dealer named him POG for todays game

Vince in MN

September 3, 2012 at 4:51 pm

Remember early in the year when Leyland kept playing and kept playing Raburn because “the only way to get out of a slump is to hit your way out.” Remember how well that “strategy” worked? This is more of the same.

Jerry The Tiger Fan

September 3, 2012 at 8:33 pm

Is there a reason that the rest of the AL hates us? I mean every non-contender except KC rolls over for Chicago, BALT, OAK, and the LAA but they play like their mother’s honor is on the line when they play us. Getting real tired of the Clevelands of the world getting swept series after series until they play us. Same goes for Seattle, playing lights out until they rolled into Chicago last week and get swept.

Simple question for me is how bad do the Tigers want it? If they would actually score some runs and stop failing in just about every R3L2O, they might actually win the division in back to back years for the first time ever (let that sink in as to how inept we have been as a franchise since divisional play was instituted in 1969). 40 plus years of divisional play and ZERO two year runs as division champs of either division.

Highly frustrated right now with this team in spite of the sweep of the ChiSox. They are letting so many winnable games slip away. You can almost see how everyone is going to point to the games in KC and today;’s game at the end of the season as the difference as to why we’re not competing in the AL playoffs.

Coleman

September 3, 2012 at 8:58 pm

That Minnesota inning was very..,Tiger-like.

TIGERS RULE

September 3, 2012 at 10:31 pm

That’s why it’s goodbye playoffs ….. too many games just given away …… bumblin & stumblin! You play your best players …… none of this mix and match.

jud

September 3, 2012 at 11:17 pm

Why do managers like coaching against Mumbles:
1. Never bunches his hot hitters. He always gives you outs in between
2. He is not concerned with moving runners…Doesn’t encourage it nor does he believe in it
3. Therefore he is not going to bunt, hit and run, steal….he plays you one base at a time
4. He will always leave a starting pitcher in one or two batters too long
5. Seldom of ever lets a short reliever go more than one inning if they have an easy inning
6. He uses IBB more than anyone in Baseball giving you runners
7. Will never ever ever PH a RH batter for a struggling RH batter or vice-versa. you can count on that!
8. gives up more of those non throwing steals than anyone in baseball
9. Despite not having hardly any speed on his team he encourages guys to try taking the extra base if they are the batter and there is a lead runner. The Tigers lead the majors in runners thrown out in these situations.
10. He religiously coaches for the three run home run that hardly ever ever ever comes
11-15. His Ego outweighs almost all common sense

Wouldn’t you want to coach against him too…………………………………………………
..oh has a losing lifetime record

Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi A good read on the Tiger's inability to work any deals during the Winter Meetings.
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2016/12/05/detroit-tigers-winter-meetings/95021824/
I have thought all was

StorminNorman$ http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/12/red-sox-to-acquire-chris-sale.html
DD still making the moves - Sale traded to BOS... the "good news", now DET will only have to

Tony de Florida Agree, without Miggy and JV attendance should go in the tank unless we're getting Trout from the Angels or Jake

Smoking Loon Stormin, in my opinion Detroit is a worse and less interesting team without Verlander and Cabrera, a team without a

StorminNorman$ word on the street is that Tiger fans should get used to mediocrity, unless some of the young players and

Tony de Florida I've been too busy to add my wisdom (please control your laughter) but have been trying to read the blog

StorminNorman$ i could see DD bringing him to BOS to replace Big Sloppy, but i doubt BOS would give up much

Only Tiger Fan in Mississippi V-Mart trade talk:
http://m.tigers.mlb.com/news/article/209950064/tigers-victor-martinez-drawing-interest/
As we know, while the guy can certainly hit a baseball, he isn't the fastest thing around